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PACK PRINT INTERNATIONAL 2019

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Goss International
will open a specialized facility in January of 2014 for demonstration of its
Sunday Vpak web offset presses, as well as a wide range of print, technology
and consumables testing. The new Packaging Technology Center at the company's
headquarters in Durham, New Hampshire will also serve as a catalyst for
programs bringing packaging producers, brand owners and suppliers together to
discuss market requirements and new production concepts. The 650-square-meter
(7,000-square-foot) Packaging Center will be equipped initially with a
versatile Goss Sunday Vpak 500 press system configured for printing on film and
paper substrates.

"The Sunday Vpak
platform can provide higher quality, lower costs and faster turn-around times
for packaging printing," Rick Nichols president and CEO of Goss
International says. "Our investment
in the equipment and the resources to staff this Center demonstrates our
commitment to the packaging sector and our confidence in the advantages that
web offset can deliver over traditional gravure and flexographic systems."

The Sunday Vpak 500
press system at the Goss Packaging Technology Center will feature seven web
offset printing units with a web width of 850 mm (33.5 inches) and a repeat
range of 406 - 812 mm (16 - 32 inches). The system will be equipped with a
flexo unit and UV and EB curing capabilities and will accommodate film
substrates from 9 to 75 microns thick and paper products as heavy as 100 gsm.

"With the first
Sunday Vpak system now producing excellent results and another confidential
project underway, we look forward to expanding our ability to demonstrate this
new-generation web offset option to packaging producers throughout the world
through customized print tests," explains Peter Walczak, director of
product management for Goss packaging presses.

Walczak says Goss
will host seminars and programs at the Packaging Technology Center that will allow
packaging producers, brand owners and suppliers worldwide to jointly explore
emerging demands in the market and share new ideas for addressing them.
"This will also be an industry resource where suppliers can test inks,
chemicals and auxiliary technologies for web offset production in a neutral,
controlled environment," he adds.

Partners supplying
equipment and consumables to support the new Packaging Technology Center and
its first Sunday Vpak press include ESI, Flint, Martin Automatic, Nela, Prime UV,
QuadTech, Technotrans and Vataphone. Additional suppliers will be confirmed
prior to the opening of the Center.

Goss Sunday Vpak 500
and Vpak 3000 web offset press models for folding carton, flexible packaging,
pre-print and label applications are available in web widths from 520 mm to
1905 mm (20.5 to 75 inches) and print at speeds of up to 457 meters (1,500)
feet per minute. Key features include quick-change sleeve adapter technology
for efficient, cost-effective size changes, and advanced offset inking, tension
and control systems.

GSE Dispensing, a
global supplier of automated ink logistics systems and software, introduces a
fast, automatic labour-saving way of dispensing process colours, coatings and
ready-mixed colours that need no blending directly to the packaging printing
press. Suited for flexo and gravure printing processes, the Direct Dispenser is
a volumetric system that replaces the manual filling of the printing press,
which is a labour-intensive process.

Ink is pumped into a
50 litre-capacity mobile tank or a fixed tank by a diaphragm pump that features
an ink meter to measure volume. Suction tubes connecting the tank to the ink chamber
of the press ensure that the press remains constantly replenished with
sufficient ink or coating during the process. Sensors in the tank automatically
reactivate the dispensing process when ink or coating falls below
pre-determined volumes. A touch-screen operator interface situated at the press
ensures easy control of the system.

The Direct Dispenser
also logs consumption levels, raw material types used for each job and for
which application. The system can be used in combination with a personal computer
or Colorsat dispensing system and GSE Dispensing's proprietary Ink Management
Software (IMS). The integration with IMS provides accessible, transparent ink
and coating costs per job and enables ink and coating used on any job to be
traced to the batch code. This provides reassurance for packaging suppliers to
the food industry, where strict health and safety controls on raw materials are
enforced.

Maarten Hummelen,
marketing director of GSE Dispensing, says: "With its ease of use and
automation, the Direct Dispenser, accelerates and simplifies the conventionally
labour-intensive process of ink replenishment of the printing press. By
integrating with our Ink Management Software, for the first time the printer
gains full cost and trace-ability control of inks that are directly consumed at
the press. This system provides an important platform for a more flexible,
leaner printing operation."

As other Labelexpo’s,
this time too Gallus cracked the deal for not one but three of its presses with
the Indian customers at the show floor. While two Gallus ECS 340 presses have
been sold to Super Labels from Mumbai, one EM 280 has been finalized for Raj
Press in Bengaluru.

According to Samir
Patkar, managing director, Gallus India, “Though there were lesser customers from India, Gallus have had a successful show. The reason due to fewer footfalls from the country could be attributed to
devaluation of the currency, but nonetheless, this gave us a chance to focus on
customers who visited us. Meanwhile, in the next couple of weeks this October,
an eight colour EM 280 will be landing at Best Labels in Chennai.”

Best Labels in
Chennai is these days all set to become a one stop shop by adding on value for
their customers as earlier the printer had a letter press machines and recently
it added an eight colour EM 280 that is a paradigm shift as it adds flexo to their bandwagon.

This year, Gallus
India has sold nine presses since January 2013 and the company is looking at a
total of 10 to 11 presses by the end of December 2013. However, a success story
is big when there are repeated installations and Super Labels is one such loyal
Gallus customer. The company already has four Gallus EM 280 installed in-house
and has now placed two more orders, albeit this time for the technological
marvel ECS 340 that will keep them ahead in terms of technology.

The Gallus ECS
340 is an extremely cost-efficient, high-quality commodity label production
press. Exceptionally quiet and stable
with minimal waste and setup times, the Gallus ECS 340 heralds a new era of
extremely cost-efficient commodity label manufacture. It is proof that less can
indeed be more. When developing this press, we focussed on the essential
features, honing the configuration to maximise print quality while minimising
costs. The machine’s extremely short web path of just 1.1 m between printing
units cuts waste significantly. Thanks to its granite core, the press has a
particularly long service life and is quieter than any other machine in this
class. What’s more, the self-explanatory operation of the Gallus ECS 340 with
touchscreen technology delivers even quicker results.

“We purchased the HP
Indigo 10000 Digital Press to address increased customer demand for variable
data print on a range of applications,” said Don Terwilliger, president, DCC.
“With the increased capacity offered by the HP Indigo 10000, we are poised to
meet these needs with quicker turnaround times for higher customer satisfaction
and increased profitability.”

DCC, a fully
integrated graphics company specializing in color retouching and print,
installed the 29-inch wide HP Indigo 10000 Digital Press in July 2013 after
experiencing tremendous growth with the HP Indigo 5500 Digital Press. The HP Indigo 10000 maintains all the
capabilities distinct to the HP Indigo portfolio in a wider format, while
providing the flexibility and high quality that DCC needs to produce any
commercial job.

As its reputation as
a digital print provider grew, DCC experienced an increasing volume of requests
for variable data printing, which created the need for more capacity. DCC
conducted rigorous testing of competitive devices before selecting the HP
Indigo 10000 as the platform of choice because of its unmatched quality and
productivity.

Standing out with outstanding print quality

DCC’s high profile
fashion and luxury brand clients require top quality, a wide range of
customized applications and adhesion to strict brand guidelines. The HP Indigo
10000 enables DCC to use variable data to customize direct mail pieces, pocket
folders, promotional materials and in-store displays with personalization and
versioning on a variety of specialized substrates.

Gröbenzell - The
PrintCity Alliance is inviting brand owners, designers, printers and finishers
to take part in its Packaging Inspiration Forum for the second time. Following
the successful launch in Düsseldorf in April, this series of events is now to
be continued in Hamburg on 19 and 20 February 2014. Together with other hot
topics, new possibilities in finishing, digital printing and the smart
packaging field will again provide a highly interesting basis for visitors to
gather information and engage in discussions.

"For me, as a
packaging designer, the event was so interesting because it gave me exhaustive
information in a short time on technical innovations in printing processes and
special finishing techniques," said Kirsten Herb-Gorissen from the Gorissen
design agency after the event in April 2013. "There was a great variety of
speakers, and the open-minded exchange between the experts gave me a good
overview of the opportunities and difficulties of individual process
phases."

The existing concept
– comprising keynote presentations by renowned speakers and interactive
sessions – will be retained, as will the extensive networking opportunities.
"What happens between the presentations is always particularly important.
The overall concept optimally supported this exchange," remarked Jürgen
Kleinhans from Bacardi Deutschland, "I'm looking forward to the next
event."

Increased attention
will be paid to inviting creative workers, agencies and manufacturers of
branded goods. It is essential for the packaging industry to further expand the
dialogue with these groups. The venue will be the Grand Elysée in Hamburg. Details
regarding the programme and registration will follow in the next few weeks. Preliminary
registration is already open to anyone interested at info@printcity.de.

Ipex 2014 visitors
will have the opportunity to view and learn more about printed products and
technologies that are set for rapid expansion over the next few years. Covering
photo products, digital print on packaging, 3D printing and printable
electronics, the Future Innovations zones on the show floor will showcase
examples of these products, as well as the technologies and relevant suppliers
that will help print service providers expand into these areas.

The whole production
chain – from websites to printing technologies, binding and dispatch – will be
represented in the Photo Products Zone. Printers will also be shown how they
can maximise profit margins by easily setting-up websites for consumers to
upload pictures for photo albums, calendars and other personalised products.

In the Digital Print
on Packaging Zone, visitors will learn about the range of opportunities that
lies in this emerging market, which is often compared to where photobooks were
a decade ago, while the 3D Printing Zone will address a technology that is both
fascinating in itself and staggering in its potential. As a completely new
field for print, it will focus on applications that printers can exploit for
themselves and their customers.

Visitors to the
Printable Electronics Zone will see examples of products that can be created
using different printing techniques, including litho, flexo, gravure or inkjet.
As many of the opportunities with printed electronics have now moved from lab
testing to proof-of-concept production, this zone offers the ideal opportunity
for printers to explore how they can get involved to deliver the high volumes
of printed electronics the industry will require.

Gareth Ward, Ipex
Future Innovations curator, comments: “These emerging technologies and
processes offer a wealth of new and exciting opportunities – print service
providers should definitely plan to spend time in the four zones during their
time at the show, while it will also provide excellent insight for the
marketing service community to understand the growing areas of applications
that add value to the marketing mix. Ipex 2014 is the ideal event to
investigate how the print industry will be influenced over the next few years,
and to meet with relevant suppliers to ensure they’re fully up-to-date when
looking at the future strategic direction of their businesses.”

Neenah Paper
announced that it has been named as a member of the HP Indigo Preferred Media
Partner Program. The agreement reflects Neenah’s commitment to supporting the
needs of the HP Indigo printer community for premium substrates, with specific
emphasis on premium uncoated papers.

“Neenah is proud and
honored to be chosen as a HP Indigo preferred media partner,” said Kingsley
Shannon, Director of Marketing, Fine Paper, Neenah. “This recognition is the
result of many years of cooperation to create a larger market for premium
papers within the digital print market. Neenah strives to create and deliver
products that meet and exceed the most exacting standards in digital printing,
and partnering with HP Indigo allows Neenah the opportunity to increase its
network of customers who value high quality digital papers.”

“Partnering is in our
DNA,” said Yogev Barak, Director of Business Management, HP Indigo. “This
deeper relationship with Neenah ensures our commercial media customers have
access to a quality end product and the ability to consistently achieve their
printing goals with HP Indigo. Given the recent launch of The Design Collection
by Neenah and breadth of assortment in color, texture and finishes, we couldn’t
be more thrilled.”

Since 2006, Neenah
has manufactured high-performance digital papers created with its proprietary
Universal Digital Finish -perfect for HP Indigo printers. Through Neenah
Digital, Neenah offers the most comprehensive offering of premium uncoated
digital papers in the industry: 14 brands, 38 colors, 15 finishes and 13
weights including a range of environmentally certified options. Neenah HP
Indigo papers are third party certified by the HP Indigo® Substrate
Certification program at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) Printing
Applications Laboratory.

An HP Indigo
preferred media partner must meet a set of criteria that demonstrates its
ability to provide superior service and support, regional and global coverage,
and environmental responsibility concerns. “Neenah is a well-recognized
manufacturer and supplier that has developed consistently high-quality
solutions to expand applications and businesses. We expect Neenah will help
accelerate the speed of adoption of digital among print service providers, while
meeting exacting customer demands and providing a unique competitive advantage
to HP Indigo customers,” said Barak.

Direct communication
and new opportunities for collaboration between Neenah and HP will reduce the
time needed to develop new media products, as well as enable expanded service
and support for Neenah customers. Neenah and HP will also work together on
promotional programs to the HP Indigo customer base.

Markzware, leading
innovator of digital publishing software, content search technology, and data
conversion software, announces the release of the PDF2DTP for InDesign CC Mac
Bundle. InDesign plugin, PDF2DTP, has been enhanced to now work with Adobe InDesign CC (Creative Cloud graphic software). This data conversion bundle of
InDesign plugins for the Macintosh includes the PDF2DTP for InDesign CC plugin
for Adobe Creative Cloud, as well as the PDF2DTP for InDesign CS6 plugin for
Adobe Creative Suite.

Lisa Salazar, senior
graphic designer & photographer said, "Wow. I just purchased and
installed PDF2DTP for InDesign... Wow...it works amazingly. I had a hard drive
crash, in which I lost many InDesign build files. Fortunately, I keep the final
production-ready PDF files on a different hard drive and I have now been able
to update several client projects without having to rebuild from scratch.
Wow."

The Markzware PDF2DTP
for InDesign CC Mac Bundle, includes the InDesign CC plugin to convert PDF to
InDesign CC, and the CS6 plugin to convert PDF to InDesign CS6, on the
Macintosh platform. The subscription-based license for the PDF2DTP for InDesign
CC Mac 1 Year Subscription Bundle offers access to both the InDesign CC plugin
and CS6 plugin, includes all updates, free of charge, for the lifetime of the
subscription, and is available at the PDF2DTP Store.

Robert O’Boyle, a
product manager of coatings at Sun Chemical, will conduct a seminar about
barrier coatings for flexible substrates at the AIMCAL Web Coating and Handling
Conference in Charleston, S.C. Held on October 29th
from 9:00-9:30 a.m., O’Boyle’s seminar will explain how converter applied
barrier coatings from Sun Chemical can be used to compete with typical barrier
laminates and ultimately provide a cost effective and unique engineering
solution to barrier packaging.

Sun Chemical’s SunBar
barrier coatings are designed to enable lightweighting of packaging by removing
one layer of adhesive from packaging, as well as offering improved laminate
flexibility. A smooth, homogenous, pinhole-free layer, SunBar coatings are
easily overprinted with inks and can be laminated to a variety of secondary
films.

O’Boyle will
elaborate on how the design of barrier coatings allows for lightweight
packaging and improved laminated flexibility, while still being cost-effective,
recyclable, biodegradable and press-ready with few changes to current
equipment.

Held on October 27-30
at the Marriott Charleston in Charleston, S.C., the AIMCAL Web Coating and
Handling Conference brings together the converting community to advance the
technologies of web processing, handling and finishing. Organized and hosted by
the Association of International Metallizers, Coaters and Laminators (AIMCAL)
the conference convenes leading industry professionals to improve efficiencies,
reduce waste and introduce new technologies designed to improve
competitiveness.

After more than a
dozen unidirectional label slitter/ rewinders with inspection systems, comes
the next step forward for Webtech Labels. During the recently concluded
Labelexpo Europe 2013 at Brussels, Webtech signed an order for a Grafotronic Pharma
380 R High Speed Inspection & Re-Inspection Machine which is the latest and
niche offering from the Grafotronic stable.

The R-Series, which
can be customized as per the user needs for different modules, is a horizontal
inspection machine concept with bi-directional web movement that brings 100% inspection
to a new level of productivity and user friendliness. The focal point of this
equipment is the linear servo buffer which facilitates re-inspection and
consequently delivery of truly 100% inspected rolls.

“Adapting to the
latest trends in the label industry and investing into the most modern technologies
has been our forte. Re-inspection is a unique concept which we believe will
further add value to our stringent quality controls especially for the 100%
inspection of pharmaceutical labels,” says Amar B. Chhajed, Managing Director,
Webtech Labels Pvt. Ltd.

Håkan Sundqvist,
Managing Director, Grafotronic, adds “I would emphasize that our R-Series would
only offer true 100% label inspection which is critical for the pharma
industry. We treasure Webtech’s order and would look forward to working with
them closely to provide multitude solutions”.

“Webtech is always
ready to embrace leading-edge technologies, hence they’ve been the industry
pioneers. We are privileged to have their order at Labelexpo for the
re-inspection machine from Grafotronic, who are a fast growing and innovative
company,” said Naalin Sharma, Director, Global Graphics Machineries Pvt. Ltd.

Grafotronic is a
Sweden based company producing quality label converting and finishing machines
built to the highest European standards coupled with optimized
price/performance ratio. The gamut of machines for the narrow web industry
include servo-driven slitter/rewinders with 100% inspection systems and
high-speed die-cutting apart from sophisticated machines for digital and
booklet labels as well as customized solutions for high-end applications. With a
customer base spanning more than 30 countries across the world, Grafotronic is
known for robust machinery designed to last with heavy duty construction.

Webtech Labels Pvt.
Ltd. is a Huhtamäki-PPL Group company in India which specializes in producing
labels, especially for the pharmaceutical companies. Webtech is one of the largest
manufacturers of high-end pressure sensitive labels in the Indian sub-continent
with manufacturing facilities in Navi Mumbai and Parwanoo, Himachal Pradesh.
Webtech’s mission is to provide innovative solutions and services to their
customers at competitive prices and shortest possible lead times.

Friday, October 11, 2013

Arena
International will be hosting the Packaging and Converting Executive (PACE)
Forum, scheduled for 12-14 February 2014 in Brussels. At the Brussels event,
PACE will be celebrating its ninth anniversary. The
2014 PACE Forum - Packaging Innovation, On Time & On Budget - will shed
light on important industry issues that will help attendees step up their game
whilst providing an unparalleled opportunity to collaborate and innovate with
peers.

With
the need to evaluate technological advances from both a functional and
strategic viewpoint, The PACE Forum will be looking at how Brand Owners can
drive profitability through innovative packaging developments and improved
operational efficiency.

“We
are pleased to announce that we have secured Aline Clavellina, Senior Vice
President of Marketing from Mexico’s Grupo Bimbo as a keynote speaker,” said
Mihaela Biti, Head of Conference Programme of Arena International. “Grupo Bimbo
markets over 10,000 products in 100 different brands around the globe, and we
are excited to have a senior executive of the company on board to share ideas
about innovation and market expansion.”

In
addition to leading keynote speakers, discussion topics at the event will
include:

•
Talking About Money. How to fund innovation and general commercial improvement.

•
The ROI of Sustainability. Calculating the ROI of sustainability efforts and
making a responsible market approach pay off

•
Retailers Panel Discussion. Retailers from France, Germany and the UK will
discuss packaging as seen through the eyes of the retailer.

“Whilst
we are still confirming all of the speakers for this important event,” said
Mihaela Biti from Arena International, “we are in discussions with a number of
interesting candidates. We are very excited about how the programme is shaping
up. We encourage FMCG executives and brand owners to contact us for further
information about the programme and attendance at the event. PACE 2014 will
provide a unique opportunity for brand owners to find innovative answers to
issues in design, purchasing, manufacturing and selling of packaging and
products.”

Survival in the food industry comes down to
more than price competitiveness: failure to comply with legislation positions
the label printer not only as an ‘also ran’ but as a complete non-starter in
the end-user’s qualification process. Here (at UPM Raflatac) we strive to
promote & educate converters and brand owners alike regarding recent changes
in European legislation with regards food packaging materials, of which labels
are an integral part.

Finat, in a collaborative effort with its
member UPM Raflatac EMEA, reports on the new EU 10/2011 regulation. This
regulation on plastic materials and articles intended to come into contact with
food came into legal force on 1 January 2013. It replaces Commission Directive
2002/72/EC and national legislation based on that directive. Its purpose is to
support brand owners’ and retailers’ duty of care to their customers, and
represents an important additional measure in ongoing endeavours to ensure the
quality and safety of food. Label printers who supply to the EU food industry
have a key role to play.

Direct
and indirect food contact

The new regulation applies the same
principles as EC No 1935/2004 for materials and articles intended to come into
contact with food. Such materials are required to be sufficiently inert to not
transfer their constituents to food in quantities large enough to endanger
human health, and to prevent unwanted changes to the composition of the food
and how it looks, tastes or smells. While EC No 1935/2004 applies to food
packaging in general, the new EU 10/2011 specifically concerns all plastic
materials and articles intended to come into contact with foodstuff, with
labels considered an integral part of such packaging. EU10/2011 consolidates
2002/72/EC and seven amendments (these were previous regulations for
plastics).The idea of the regulation is to harmonise the different legislation
that has existed previously within individual member states. This should make
it easier for different countries to deal with each other in terms of the
shipping of goods.

Both direct food contact labels furnished
with a plastic layer, as well as plastic labels applied to food packaging, now
require Declarations of Conformity (DoCs) stating which controlled but
authorised substances are present in their make-up.

Only when the packaging material or any layer
provides a functional barrier that prevents migration of substances from behind
that barrier into food, are labels and other packaging components exempt from
EU 10/2011. Material compositions that are purely combinations of paper and
board continue to be covered by national legislation or recommendations such as
those of the German BfR.

Restricted
and unrestricted substances

All authorised substances - both restricted
and unrestricted - which may be used in packaging containing plastic in its
layers are stipulated on the ‘Union List’ within EU 10/2011. Only restricted
substances need to be declared; and as DoCs move downstream within the
supply/manufacturing chain, such substances must be clearly identified and
documented so that compliance can be optimally tested.

Final
responsibility for conformance lies with the end user

It is the end user - packager or brand owner -
who has final responsibility for checking that the packaging as a whole
conforms to EU 10/2011 (in addition to any extant national legislation for papers,
as well as to EC 1935/2004, the Framework regulation for all packaging
materials), taking into account the nature of the packaged food, its defined
shelf life, and ambient conditions. Label printers are therefore required to
provide DoCs for their labels to enable tests for restricted substance levels
and migration behaviour in specific environmental conditions to be carried out.

Label
printers: responsibilities and risks

Food label printers supplying into the EU
therefore need to be provided with DoCs both from their labelstock and ink
suppliers to be able to compile their own DoCs, which must, of course, also
incorporate conformance information about any curing processes used during
label production.

It should be noted that the enactment of these
regulations means that printers unable to supply DoCs cannot now be accepted as
part of the end user’s supply chain, and may also leave themselves open to the
financial repercussions of a product recall. It is therefore essential for
label printers to be proactive in obtaining and supplying the necessary
documentation if they are to retain their place as responsible and viable links
in the broader professional packaging chain.The
benefits of a secure supply chain

Finally, to summarise, all the above points
underline the value of DoCs as a form of insurance for a label printer’s
business, as a means of retaining existing customer contracts, and as an entry
ticket to end users qualification processes for new business - with the
ultimate aim of protecting the consumer. Producing DoCs to a satisfactory
standard creates a level playing field for all operations – however large or
small.

Xeikon, an innovator
in digital color printing technology, announced the installation of a Xeikon
3500 digital press with DCoat500 finishing unit at Syrgraf in Barcelona, Spain.
Founded in 1992, Syrgraf is dedicated to label production and employs 18
experienced professionals who are committed to deliver quality and excellent
customer service. Syrgraf's close relationship with the pharmaceutical
industry, and its strong presence in the cosmetics and personal care, food and
textile sectors enabled the company to establish a solid reputation as label
provider that gives timely answers to the changing needs of its customers.

“The only limit to
the new applications now possible with digital printing technology is imagination”,
comments Rafael Millaruelo, Marketing Director at Syrgraf, referring to the
benefits they can offer its customers thanks to the installation of the new
Xeikon equipment.

The need to include
security properties on labels and the commercial advantages of variable
information and personalization motivated Syrgraf’s management to purchase the
Xeikon 3500 press and efficiently meet the growing need for short run jobs, in
a cost-effective way. “The Xeikon 3500 convinced us by its performance, its
high resolution and its excellent color capabilities - which are all aspects
that will allow us to handle even the most demanding jobs without any
problems”, says Syrgraf's manager José Luis Muñiz.

The Xeikon 3500 is
noted for its variable roll width which ranges from 250 mm up to 516 mm, and
for its speed up to 19.2 m per minute. These features allow to achieve
production volumes up to 594 m² per hour. The extended capacity of the newly
purchased Xeikon press at Syrgraf will be supported by a DCoat 500 inline
finishing unit, designed for UV varnishing, lamination, semi-rotary
die-cutting, slitting and rewinding.

Responding to market
needs

The
cost-effectiveness of short runs was one of the main economic motivations for
the purchase of the Xeikon equipment. However, the decision was also influenced
by the capability of digital technology to increase service agility and
versatility, reduce response time and offer a wide range of new
applications. Another important factor
in the decision was the new possibility to include security elements on labels.
These security features make it more difficult to duplicate or falsify labels,
a feature that Sygraf's customers in the pharmaceutical industry nowadays
demand.

The versatility of
digital printing that Syrgraf can offer with its new Xeikon digital press is
also useful in other industries such as the textile market as the press is able
to integrate elements with variable information on labels. “Transferring part
of our production to digital printing is not just an investment in technology,
it is also a confirmation of our clear commitment to seek solutions that bring
value to our customers”, says Mr. Millaruelo.

Syrgraf has a sales
team that handles the distribution operations. To expand its business - until
now the company mainly operated locally - Syrgraf has established cooperation
agreements with distributors in other parts of Spain. The new opportunities
offered by digital production raise interest to extend distribution also to other
countries. That is what Mr. Muñiz confirms when stating: "because the
future drives on technology, specialisation and financial strength, our efforts
will be directed towards export and/or agreements with European companies for
whom our services can or could be complementary”.

iSys Label, Canadian developers and
manufacturers of short to mid run digital label printers have announced they’ve
appointed Gujarat-based Caterpillar Signs as their new distributor for India.
Comprised of three international offices, Caterpillar Signs will offer iSys
Label’s APEX 1290 and EDGE 850 digital label printers both directly and through
a dealer network, providing CP Sign customers direct access to the latest
digital label printing technology.

Nishant Shah, CEO of CP Signs says “We’ve had
a long standing relationship with iSys Label and are glad they chose us as a
preferred partner. The EDGE 850 is a great fit for companies wanting to enter
in to the label market and the APEX 1290 is a perfect fit for mid to high
volume existing label printers and brand owners. We have had a lot of buying
interest from companies in India at Labelexpo 2013 and feedback from them is
very encouraging.”

Randy Rickert, Director of Sales says
“Nishant and his team came to meet us in Brussels to see how much excitement
there was with our innovative short to mid run digital printers and he walked
away from the Labelexpo show more excited than ever. India is a very important
market for iSys Label and we are thrilled to pair up with the CP Signs team.”

The EDGE 850 and APEX 1290 are short to mid
run digital label printers that were developed by iSys Label in Calgary,
Canada. Designed with the user in mind, these digital label print solutions are
suitable for all sorts of applications whether it be custom water bottle labels
or stickers for a special event. Innovative features such as quick changeover
technology, coupled with fully integrated software allow operations to stage
and print jobs in minutes rather than hours.

Both printers utilize a full featured,
easy-to-use label software package developed exclusively for the company’s
digital label solutions. The Harlequin RIP software provides full color
management tools and a built-in Pantone Library. Also offered is the variable
data software, iVDP. Fully compatible with the APEX2Print and EDGE2Print label
software packages, iVDP provides the user the ability to combine static and
dynamic content to create varying multi-graphic labels containing variable
text, images and barcodes. iVDP layouts can be easily set up and configured to
run variable portions in both horizontal and vertical dataset formats enabling
the user to quickly create highly-targeted, professional digital label designs.

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Stork Prints demonstrated
its unrivalled expertise in rotary screen and digital UV inkjet printing for
labels and packaging at the Labelexpo Europe in Brussels (Hall 6, booth H40).
Since Stork Prints was the first to introduce rotary screen printing at the
ITMA Hannover in 1963, it celebrated 50 years of innovation at the Labelexpo
this year with great shows, samples and a happy hour every day. There were
plenty of demonstrations that visitors could witness the advantages of Stork
Print’s total system solutions first hand as well meet Stork experts and see
how Stork’s expertise and products could work for them!

Brilliant, rapid and low-cost labels with the DSI

One of the main
attractions at the Stork stand was the DSI UV inkjet label printer as Stork prepared
a historical show for this runner up in the digital label printing market. This
digital printing press produces eye-catching labels with excellent colour
strength and brilliance, at speeds up to a remarkable 700m2/hour, while keeping
costs low. The DSI is modular in design, and therefore suitable for everything
from stand-alone digital printing to use in complete lines with in-line
(semi-rotary) converting.

Multiple demos were
given each day for markets such as personal care, food and industrial. Besides their
own demos Stork Prints also participated in the official Labelexpo Inkjet Trail
showing printed labels for Pharma, Food and Industrial sectors!

Introducing variLEX direct laser exposer

Stork Prints presented
the innovation in digital exposing, a hybrid direct laser exposer for digital
pre-press. The new system is called the variLEX, referring to its versatility
in product applications, such as rotary screens, flexo and dry offset plates.
The variLEX delivers top quality exposing with an unmatched productivity. The
machine was presented at the Labelexpo 2013 where its unique features were demonstrated.
Stay tuned; more information will follow shortly!

50 years of rotary screen technology

This year Stork
Prints celebrated its special 50 year anniversary of rotary screen technology -
it was the year 1963 that Stork introduced the very first rotary screen for the
textile printing industry at the ITMA show in Hannover. Stork’s rotary screen
caused a revolution in the printing industry and offered a big step forward in
volumes and design freedom for printers. With RSI (Rotary Screen Integration),
label printers could produce special effects and access extra functionality
that cannot be achieved by any other printing process. Reliable and economical
value-added production of the 'non-label look', metallic and opaque colours,
glitters, tactile warning symbols, texture varnishes, scratch-off inks and many
other effects can be applied using Stork’s RSI technology.

“Looking back in time
I am proud to say that Stork Prints products and innovations created a standard
in the textile and graphic printing industries. As of today our products create
an added value solution in optical and functional design for end users. Looking
at global trends in the market I am confident to say that we have chosen the
right direction in the past and more importantly, for the future in digital and
rotary screen printing,” said Bas Hoijtink - Commercial Manager - Stork Prints.

Mark Andy Inc.
continues to expand their technology offering and are being recognized for
their efforts in moving the industry forward and building collaboration among
key suppliers. During Labelexpo Europe, held this week in Brussels, Belgium,
the company was honored with the prestigious Award for Innovation for
delivering a UV LED curing system, ProLED. Flint Group also won an Award for
Innovation for their development of EkoCure UV LED printing inks. Both
companies have spent nearly two years in joint development of the technology,
making it an available mainstream technology for converters printers worldwide.

This Award for
Innovation marks the fourth innovation award in the past three years. In 2011,
the Performance Series line of printing equipment won two innovation awards for
its exclusive and unique print station design, and the new Quick Change Die Cut
(QCDC) was recognized earlier this year for its high-speed, extremely accurate
die cutting technology. Mark Andy Inc.
continues to expand their technology offering and are being recognized for
their efforts in moving the industry forward and building collaboration among
key suppliers. During Labelexpo Europe, held this week in Brussels, Belgium,
the company was honored with the prestigious Award for Innovation for
delivering a UV LED curing system, ProLED.
Flint Group also won an Award for Innovation for their development of
EkoCure UV LED printing inks. Both
companies have spent nearly two years in joint development of the technology,
making it an available mainstream technology for converters printers worldwide.

“We are very happy to
receive the Award for Innovation this year for Mark Andy ProLED. We are proud
of the successful collaboration with Flint Group. Working together through
joint cooperation has a truly positive impact on the industry as a whole, and
we hope to see more of this among other industry suppliers,” stated PJ Desai,
president of Mark Andy Inc.

In addition to the
award, this year’s Labelexpo proved to be one of the best exhibitions yet for
Mark Andy and Rotoflex. The company launched several new technologies in Europe
- ProLED and Quick Change Die Cut for the Mark Andy flexo press line, and URC
2.0 advanced control system for Rotoflex inspection rewinders. Thousands of visitors made their way through
the Mark Andy and Rotoflex stands to witness all the new technologies in live
action, which has already led to increased sales and new customers.

Labelexpo Europe 2013
has reported its largest ever edition with record-breaking attendance figures.
The show, which took place 24-27 September, covered seven of Brussels Expo’s
exhibition halls for the first time and attracted 31,795 visitors (up 11% on 2011)
from 158 countries (up from 123 in 2011) and just under 600 exhibitors (up from
550 in 2011). Underlining the show’s importance to what is the fastest growing
sector of the wider print industry, Labelexpo Europe occupied 31,000sqm; its
largest show floor size in its 33 year history.

Numerous market
leading exhibitors increased their presence at 2013’s event including Avery
Dennison, Durst, EFI, Gallus, HP Indigo, Mark Andy, MPS, Nilpeter, UPM Raflatac
and Xeikon. By the end of the show, 86% of the space had already been rebooked
for the 2015 edition – the highest ever onsite rebook rate.

Labelexpo Europe 2013
also welcomed the successful debut of several new busy feature areas. The
Package Printing Workshop showcased the opportunities both digital and
conventional printing can bring to folding carton, lid laminate and stand up
pouch decoration. The Inkjet Trail put the different available inkjet
technologies under the spotlight and compared their results when producing
identical label designs on the same label stocks.

Lisa Milburn,
managing director of Labelexpo Global Series remarks: “With the Eurozone now
out of recession, confidence and optimism is beginning to return to wider
global industry and converters are starting to invest in their businesses
again. This year's Labelexpo Europe is without doubt another world-class event!
Seeing our manufacturers and suppliers making sales here confirms that
Labelexpo Europe is the best-selling platform in the label and package printing
industry with printers prepared to spend high on capital equipment.”

Milburn concludes:
“Continued innovation across the various product groups and strong, sustainable
growth in demand across the labeling and package printing market are being
translated into sizeable order books. We’ve again had excellent feedback from
exhibitors underlining that Labelexpo Europe is the show to secure significant
sales with numerous reports of many presses being sold.”

The new Elcam Missing
Matrix and Label Detection system is a special solution for the narrow web
label industry. With typical set up times of less than 5 seconds and no moving
parts to adjust, it is an impressive, low cost alternative to the traditional
time consuming set-up procedure of conventional sensor arrays.

The system is easy
to install, easy to use, and very robust in operation. Thanks to this new
development, label printers are able to avoid waste and improve product
quality. Additionally, due to the very quick setup times, machine productivity
will increase significantly. The system consists of the smart vision camera Elcam
in combination with LED light sources, a small controller to handle stop
signals for the production process (if needed), and a touch screen panel with
an intuitive graphical user interface.

Nyscan 100% Print
Inspection continued to impress attendees with its fast and easy set-up, clear
presentation of defect data, and the ability to integrate an entire production
process into its Workflow concept. By using data obtained during print
inspection, Erhardt+Leimer’s RollScheduler system can control a finishing
machine by automatically and accurately placing defects at the splicing table.
Further, this is achieved without the need for special marks, flags, or labels.
From prepress through finishing, E+L’s Workflow solution provides the tool for
quality control.

Elscan remains the
premium solution for web viewing and attendees were clearly impressed with the
image quality presented by the system. Elscan OMS 4 uses two cameras with fixed
focal lengths. Using digital zoom the system switches imperceptibly between the
two cameras, allowing for delay free zooming and navigation. By means of
delay-free zooming using the mouse wheel, it is possible to display any section
of the repeat and then select an overview of the entire repeat just as quickly.
Also, a simple click on the required point on the repeat will move the camera
to this position allowing the print quality to be checked as quickly as
possible.

The Nilpeter Bell
rang 24 times, each time one of the Nilpeter presses was sold at Labelexpo
Europe 2013. Receiving its
European debut was the sleeve-based FA-4 for high-end labels and packaging, and
the high-performance FB-3 UV-flexo press delivering the highest level of print
reproduction as well as unparalleled registration performance. The new MO-5
offset platform, a wider 520 mm-version for labels and package printing, also
created much interest among the premium-quality converters in Brussels.

Nilpeter also
experienced a strong interest for the new inline Quick-Change magnetic
die-module, the QC-Die. Recently developed, the system allows operators to
ergonomically change cylinders in less than 10 seconds, which was demonstrated
time and again during the show. Solid die-cutting cylinders can also be
incorporated. Another attraction was the inline flatbed unit for hot foil and
embossing unit, the FP-4, and the inline gravure unit for printing metallic
inks and other coatings, the G-4.

Jakob Landberg, Sales
& Marketing Director, says, “Two years ago there was less hype and it was
not such an exciting exhibition. Now the hype is back and the show is vibrant
and positive. This year we have had customers come on the stand and have
enthusiastically made a purchasing decision on the spot. Instead of
concentrating solely on efficiency, the accent this year has been capacity.
Heavy metal is back!”

In addition to
improving material handling and logistics efficiency and flexibility, product
quality and yield, and package safety and integrity, machine vision can also be
implemented on the processing side to reduce scrap, improve productivity and
quality control, as well as enhance brand image.

For example, vision
systems can sort food and beverage products by color or shape. It can detect
defects, verify proper assembly, detect fill levels, count and provide guidance
for robotic pick and place or palletizing operations to achieve improved
manufacturing and packaging flexibility.

Another application
is orienting bottles based on shape when they enter the machine in random
positions. Machine vision can identify correctly facing bottles and allow them
pass through. Incorrectly facing bottles are detected by the vision sensor
which signals an actuator mechanism to rotate the bottle to the correct
orientation.

Process Control and Supply Chain Management

The better and more
precise the track and trace system, the faster you can identify and resolve
problems. If profit margins are narrow, reduced manufacturing and supply chain
costs can often be the difference between profit and loss.

Traceability

Improves
management of work in process

Reduces
inventory

Optimizes
availability and use of production tools

Minimizes
distribution of non-conforming products

Full Range of Inspection and ID Solutions

Cognex offers the
widest range of vision and ID products available from a single source to
provide you with a solution for every application and budget.

Application Examples

Verify
presence of caps and safety seals on bottles

Color
sorting and inspection

Automate
production with the ability to sort products or orient them for filling or
packaging

Detect
presence of inserted or attached leaflets on packaging

Check
for missing, incorrect, or damaged product

Inspect
for particulates or flawed product in bottles and other packaging

Color-Logic--developer
of the Process Metallic Color System recently participated in two European
shows: Labelexpo Europe 2013 in Brussels, and Packaging Innovations in London. At Labelexpo Europe
2013, Color-Logic exhibited in the HP booth.An HP Silver Partner, Color-Logic was on the HP stand, near the HP
Indigo machines which enable printers to product striking metallic labels and
packaging. Commented Color-Logic Chief Technical Officer Richard Ainge:
"From the show opening until the close, label producers were queued up to
see how they can quickly and consistently produce metallic folding cartons and
labels using our software."

At Packaging
Innovations London 2013, the Color-Logic process was on display on the Mirri
stand, where packaging experts and manufacturers of luxury goods could see
firsthand how metallic substrates can be used to produce incredible metallic
boxes for high-end products.

Commenting on the
European foray, Color-Logic Director of Sales and Marketing Mark Geeves said:
"Many printers and brand managers in the Europe and the Middle East
already use Color-Logic to enhance their products, and we continue to be
pleased at the excitement Color-Logic produces in the marketplace."

Color-Logic develops
color communication systems and software tool sets for a variety of special
effect printing applications. Color-Logic provides brand owners, product
managers, corporations, and their advertising agencies the ability to
differentiate themselves and their clients with a simple print production
process that yields dramatic results. Color-Logic decorative effects utilize
the existing workflows of printers and designers, yielding dynamic results
without the use of special equipment. Color-Logic supports the value of print
and works with designers and printers to enhance their printed media.

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

eltromat launched
twin_check 2.0, it´s improved 100% print inspection system, for the first time
at Labelexpo Europe in Brussels. The new camera unit doubles the resolution and
leads to a brilliant image quality. And with the new illumination unit the
customer is able to inspect on opaque as well as on high reflective materials.
eltromat also experienced strong interest for the iPQ_solutions with its
modular design approach. It allows the combination of web viewing, 100%
inspection, spectral color measurement and workflow solutions to increase the
productivity as well as the printing quality.

twin_check 2.0 is
based on a new patented camera and illumination unit. The new RGB line-scan
cameras come with triple line sensors with 4096 pixels each and a line
frequency of 85 MHz. This results in a much better resolution and brilliant
image quality. Another improvement has been achieved with regard to the
illumination, which now allows best inspection results on different materials.
"With only one illumination unit our customers are able to inspect holograms,
all typical opaque and high reflective materials without pseudo errors,"
states Dirk Volkening, Product Manager at eltromat. The weight and size of the
inspection unit has been reduced. Additionally, the camera and illumination
unit can be mounted either horizontally or vertically.

This results in a
market leading flexibility of machine integration. With this solution for print
inspection eltromat responds to the needs of customers in the packaging and
label, as well as decor and wallpaper printing industry.

The established
webvideo_star, also on show, is now equipped with a new processing unit, which
makes the system completely scalable. Customers can choose to add different
modules such as a barcode or sample inspection system; or the webvideo_star can
simply be upgraded with a complete twin_check 2.0 or the inline color
measurement system inco_check. With the modularity of iPQ_solutions customers
stay flexible and efficient because they only buy the hardware solution which
their needs require.

India Packaging Awards 2019

PLASTECH Vietnam 2019

Pack Print International 2019

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